Rocking toy



P. w. MIESSLER, SR I 3,002,316

Oct. 3, 1961 ROCKING TOY Filed Dec. 8, 1959 FawZ W/Za'azsiez; 57;

ATTORNEY This invention relates to a toy of the rocking type, and moreparticularly to a toy of this type having educational value as well.

An object of the character which will permit motion thereto foramusement, and at the same time enable the child to gain the fun andeducational value of playing with animal figures. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of the characteraforesaid which can be produced entirely from fibreboard such ascorrugated paperboard, and hence at a very low cost.

Still another object is to provide a fibreboard toy of the characterdescribed which can be stored and packed for shipment in flat form, andeasily set-up and assembled by a child, to form the operative toy.

Briefly stated, the toy according to the invention comprises (1) a basememberformed of asingle fiat'piece of fibreboard, scored for foldingalong parallel to provide a top wall and a pair of side walls dependingtherefrom and having convexly. curved bottom edges on which the toy maybe given rocking motion, and. (2) an upper member formed for detachableengagement with the base member, arranged to extend vertically upwardfrom the top wall of the base and configured and demarked, as bysuitably imprinting the same, to simulate the body of an animal inprofile.

The construction and arrangement of the parts may be such as to enabledifferently configured and demarked upper members, simulating differentanimals in profile, to be interchangeably used with one base member.However, in actual practice, it may be desirable or preferable topackage the toy as a set composed of a number of the base members and acorresponding or even greater number of upper members, differing fromone another in configuration or design, thereby enabling the child toerect more than one of the complete devices for playing with ordisplaying them simultaneously. 4

The invention will be more readily understood from the detaileddescription below and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1. is a perspective View invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross-section, taken along line 2-2 of FIG.1

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, along line-33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank or collapsed piece of fibreboardconstituting the base member of the toy; and

FIG. 5 is a view, in elevation, of a detachable upper member for usewith the base member of FIG. 4, appropriately configured to simulate,for example, the body of a sitting rabbit.

As shown in the drawing, the toy according to the invention comprises abase member, indicated generally by letter B, and constituting therocker element of the complete toy; and a detachable upper member,indicated generally by letter A, and constituting the animal-simulatingelement thereof.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the base member B is in the form of asingle piece of corrugated fibreboard, or the like, of sufficientstiffness to sustain the erected of a toy embodying the partly inelevation taken atent invention is to provide a toy of this ice 2 shapeof the base when folded as hereinafter described.

As shown, the base member, in its collapsed or flattened form, comprisesa relatively elongated, pre-cut blank 10, having its oppositelongitudinal edges 1J1, 12 convexly curved symmetrically with respect tothe longitudinal center line of the blank, and having parallel end edges13, 14. Although the curved portions of the edges 11, 12 are shown asterminating respectively at aligned longitudinal edges 15, 16, it willbe understood that the curvature of the edges 11, 12 may besuch thatthey terminate at the end edges 13, 14.

The member 10 is formed on its bottom f-acewith a pair of alignedlongitudinal scores 19 extending inwardly from the end edges 13, 14 atany desired distance from the ends of the convexly-shaped edge 11, andwith a parallel pair of aligned longitudinally scores 20 also extendinginwardly from the end edges at a corresponding distance from the ends ofthe opposite convexly-shaped edge 12. Member 10 is also formed on itsbottom face, with scores 21, 22, intermediate and parallel to the scores19, 20, and spaced transversely outward with respect to score lines 19and 20, respectively.

Connecting the corresponding ends of the scores 21, 22 are transverselyextending, parallel slits 23, intersecting the inner ends of therespective pairs of parallel scores 19 and 20.

Along its longitudinal center, the member 10 is formed with a slit 25,preferably parallel to the scores 19,20, 21 and 22. Each opposite end ofslit 25 bisects one of the transverse slits 23.

. As will be seen, member 10 thus has within its confines a pair ofspaced end panels 27, 28 (bounded by an end edge 13 or 14, scores 19,20, and portions of transverse slits 23). and a pair of separable panelsections 29, 30, panel section 29 being bounded byscore 21, portions oftransverse slits 23 and longitudinal slit 25, and panel section 30 beingbounded by score 22, portions of slits 23 and longitudinal. slit 25.

The panel sections 29, 30 are each provided with longitudinallyextending relatively elongated slots 31, 32 respectively, each spacedthe same distance transversely from the longitudinal slit 25.

'Desirably also, the blank is formed with relatively short longitudinalslots 35, 36, preferably in longitudinal alignment with one another andwith the slit 25, and extending outwardly of the slits 23 into therespective panel sections 27, 28. V

The width of the slots 31, 35 and 36 corresponds sub.- st'antially tothe thickness of the material of which the lower or attaching end ofmember A is formed.

As will be seen, particularlyfrom FIGS. 1 and 2, the base member B ofthe toy may be readily set-up byfolding the same along the hinge linesprovided by scores 19, 20, to bring the portions 37, 38 into dependingposition relative to the panel sections 27, 28, and folding the panelsections 29, 30 along the hinge-lines provided by the scores 21, 22. Thepanels 27, 28 will thus constitute the top of the base, the downfoldeddepending sections 37, 38 will thus constitute the side walls thereof,their convexly curved edges 11, 12 serving-as the runners for impartingrocking motion to the base, and the panel sections 29, 30 will overlapand constitute a downwardly recessed portion of the top Wall of thebase.

The panel sections 29, 30 are infolded so as to over.- lap one anotherin a position such that one of the slots 31, 32 registers or coincideswith the other, to receive the lower portion of the detachable uppermember A, thereby also retaining the panels 29, 30 in overlappedposition and preventing collapse of the base from its set-up position bythe normal tendency of the portions 37, 38 otherwise to move back alongscores 19, 20 into the plane of the sections 27, 28.

' in commercial practice, to supply The upper member A is preferablyalso made of a flat piece of corrugated fibreboard. However, if desired,this member, which serves as the animal-simulating portion of the toy,may have the portion thereof, which is exposed to view in the assembly,of three-dimensional character rather than of fiat sheet material. Thismay be done, for example, by suitably embossing the flat sheet offibreboard from which it is produced, or by ultilizing as the materialfor the member A, suitably molded pulp board, or suitably molded plasticmaterial, particularly any of the relatively inexpensive synthetic resinplastics commercially available.

The upper member A has its portion 44 configured to correspondsubstantially to that of an animal, and demarked or decorated on itssurface, as by suitable imprinting, to simulate the appearance of thebody of an animal in profile.

The member A has its lower portion 41 formed for detachable engagementof member A with the base member B in the assembled toy. To that end, inthe embodiment illustrated, the lower portion 41 may be in the form of arelatively elongated portion terminating in vertical edges 42, 42, andhaving aligned horizontal edges 44, 45 spaced by an intermediate bottomextension 47. To retain member A in locked position on base member B,the extension 47 is formed adjacent one of its ends with a hingedlocking tab, as illustrated by tab 50, hinged along vertical score 48and separated from portion 41 by a short horizontal slit 49 located at adistance below edge 44 corresponding substantially to twice thethickness of which the portion 41 is formed.

As will be seen, the toy may be readily assembled for use by insertingportion 41 into coinciding slots 31, 32 of the base member, and movingtab 50 into an angular position to lock the parts together. As shown inthe drawing, opposite ends of the portion 41 are received by the slots35, 36 in the top wall sections 27, 28, reinforcing the assembly andretaining the animal-simulating upper member A in firm, yet detachable,position on the base member B.

As will be apparent, the toy construction according to the inventionwill not only aiford amusement to a child, by reason of the rockingmotion which the child may impart to the toy, but will also serve aneducational function in respect of the animal-simulating effect obtainedtherewith. By providing a plurality of upper members A, differentlyconfigured and decorated to simulate a variety of animals, forinterchangeable use with the base, the interest of the child will beenhanced and maintained. Also, as already stated, it may be desirable,the toy in a package containing a plurality of base members B, togetherwith a corresponding number of upper members A configured and decorateddifferently from one another to simulate a variety of animals, thusenabling the child to set up and assemble as many of those in the set asdesired, for simultaneous play and study.

I claim: I

1. A toy of the character described, consisting essentially of arelatively elongated base member and a detachable upper member, saidbase member comprising a sheet of fibreboard scored longitudinally ofthe base to provide a top wall and a pair of side walls hinged theretoin depending position, said side walls having convexly curved bottomedges enabling said base to be given rocking motion on a supportingsurface, said base member being cut and scored centrally thereof toprovide spaced panels constituting said top wall, and a recessed portionintermediate said panels, said panels being disposed in a common planeand said recessed portion comprising transversely over-lapped panelsdisposed in a plane below said common plane when said side walls aredisposed in depending position with respect to said top wall, said basemember and the lower end of said upper member being formed with means todetachably connect said upper member with said base member and to retainsaid panels in said overlapped position, said upper member beingconfigured to simulate an animal in profile. e

2. A toy as defined in claim l,wherein said means comprises an openingformed in each of said panels, an opening in one of said panelsregistering with that in the other of said panels in the overlappedposition of the panels.

3. A toy of the character described, consisting essentially of afibreboard base in the form of a rockable member, and a detachableelement configured and demarked to simulate an animal, said basecomprising an intermediate portion, side portions foldable intodepending position with respect to said intermediate portion, themarginal edges of said side portions being of symmetrical convexcurvature with respect to the longitudinal center line of said base,said convex edges extending in parallel planes throughout their lengthwhen said side portions are in depending position, said intermediateportion comprising a pair of spaced end panelslying in a common planeand constituting the top surface of said base and a pair of panelsintermediate said end panels, said intermediate panels beingtransversely overlappable in a plane spaced below said common plane whensaid side portions are folded into depending position as aforesaid, andsaid intermediate portion being formed with means to engage the lowerportion of said detachable element whereby to retain said element inposition on said base and in engagement with said overlapped panels.

4. A toy as defined in claim 3, wherein said means comprises openingsformed in said intermediate panels, said openings being in register withone another in the overlapped position of said intermediate panels.

5. A toy as defined in claim 4, wherein said detachable element isformed with an extension at one end thereof for insertion in saidregistered openings, said extension being formed with a hinged tab toretain said detachable element in firm engagement with said openings.

6. A one-piece blank of fibreboard adapted to form a rocker element fora toy of the character described, said blank having a pair of opposedarc-shaped side edges, a pair of end edges, pairs of aligned,longitudinal score lines extending from each of said end edges, alongitudinal score line parallel to and spaced laterally outward withrespect to each of said first-named aligned pairs, a transverselyextending slit connecting the corresponding ends of said second-namedscore lines, a longitudinal slit extending centrally of said blank andintersecting said transverse slits to form separate panel portions whichoverlap one another when said blank is folded along said first-namedaligned pairs of score lines and said panel portions are folded alongsaid second-named score lines, each of said panel portions having anopening formed therein, said openings being positioned so as to bebrought into registry with one another when said panel portions areoverlapped as aforesaid, for engaging a separate member of said toy withthe thus folded blank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,797,527 Lohnes July 2, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,149 Great Britain Aug.1, 1944

